Two-speed drive mechanism



Dec. 11, 1945. M. P. HOLMES 2,390,539

TWO-SPEED DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 4, 19,44 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Dec. 11, 1945.

M. P. HOLMES TWO- SPEED DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 TWO-SPEED DRIVE MECHANISM Mo r I H lme gla em nt. N- ass s to J n L son Machine Company, Springs fi d, Vt cor ra of e mon Application January 4, 1944, Serial No. 516,986

(Cl. l92-,=1 4 14) 2 c aim This invention relates to a two-speed drive mechanism of a type particularly suitable for application to machine tools such as lathes, or the like. In such machines it is desirable that the cutting portions 'of th tool strokes be made at relatively low speeds, but in order to save time the inactive tool motions, such as retracting or mov--' ing from fully retracted positions to positions near to the work, are made at high speeds. In a lathe of the well known Fay type, for example, the tool motions are produced by the actions of cams carried by drums on a cam shaft, the shaft being driven at either a relatively low working speed or at a relatively high idle speed.

In accordance with thepresent invention the high speed drive is provided by a motor which, when de-energized, is driven at .a low idle speed when the low speed is in operation sothat'it is ready at once as soon as energized to take over the drive at the high speed, over-running the low speed drive. Means are also provided to apply a brake as soon as the high speed drive motor is de-energized so that the driven parts quickly slow to the speed produced by the low speed drive, the brake being then released so as to place no load on the low speed drive mechanism. With this arrangement, 'should the power for the entire machine fail during operation of the machine, the brake is applied and the machine is stopped, avoiding the possibility of damage resulting from coasting of the cam drum. Any possibility of the tools contacting the work while the machine is under high speed is thus avoided.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, together with further objects and ad-.. vantages, reference may be had to the, accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a Fay lathe embodying the invention.

Figure 2' is a left end elevation of the machine.

Figure 3; is a detail sectional view on line of Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail sectional views on lines 47,-?! and 57:5,, respectively, of Figure 3.

Figure 6, is a, wiring diagram of the fast, speed motor circuit.

For illustration, but not by way or limitation, the invention is shown as applied to, a 'Fay.- lathe of the type shown in LettersPatent to Lovely No. 1,923,493 granted August 22 1933, for Lathe.

Someof the lathe. structure is shown in Figures 1 and 2 which illustrate the headstock end ofthe machine. The headstock spindle which carries,

at its inner end a work-holding chuck is indi% cated at l; in the upper portion of-the machine.

, Asfully shown and described in the Lovely, pat;

ent, the tools are carried by rockably and sometimes axially movable bars 2 and 3. Each of these bars has secured thereto tool arms, such as the tool arm 4 shown in Figure 2 as carried by the rear tool bar 3, and the rear end of this am is provided with a cam follower 5 for engagee I ment with a former cam 6. The former cam 6 is arranged to be moved lengthwise of the machine in order to control the angular position of the amn 4 and this is accomplished by the action of cams (not shown) which may be secured to a rotary cam drum I0 beneath the machine. Such cams may produce traversing motion to a carriage H connected by a link I2 to a former cam slide I3. Similarly, a tool arm (not shown) carried by the front tool bar 2 may be controlled by other cams on the cam drum I0, all as more completely shown in the Lovely patent to which reference has been made.

The cam drum is rotated at either of two speeds, a relatively low working speed and a rapid idle speed, For this purpose the drum shaft has fixed thereto a worm wheel l5 with which meshe a worm I6 (see Figure 3) carried by a transverse Worm shaft I! journaled beneath the cam drum l0, As shown i the Lovely patent, the low speed drive for the cam drum is derived from the rotation of the spindle I. Suitable gearing transmitting rotation therefrom is housed within a gear box 2Q (see Figure 2) from which there extends downwardly within a tubular casing 2|, a vertical shaft 22 Figure3). At the lower end of th shaft 22 and within a casing 23 it carries a beveled pinion 2 4 which meshes with a bevel gear 25, journaled on the worm shaft l1 and connected thereto, through an over-running clutch shown best in Figure 5. Thus the hub 26 of the bevel gear surrounds a sleeve 21 keyed to the worm shaft ll, roller clutch elements 28 riding in the pockets, 29 in the sleeve 21 serving to c nnect t hub the ar 25 t rotate the cam shaft I! by rotation in driving direction of the gear 25, while perc nitting the cam shaft IT to be rotated at a faster rate in the same direction. Q pos i s, f e o -run tch. the gear hub 26 may have interposed between it and the sleeve 21 antifrictionbearings as at 31!, The adjacent end of the worm shaft Il may be squared off as at 3| for the reception of a, wrench bywhich it may be turned by. hand when desired as? setting up, the machine. s

The high speed drive for the cam drum is pro duced by a n iotoi 3.5 v and as shown it is of the unit-brake type having built into its casing an electrically released spring-applied brake for the motor shaft. Commonly such a brake is connected up in the motor circuit so that when the motor is energized the brake releasemechanism is also energized, but. when the motor is de-ener-, gizedthe release mechanism is also de-energized and the spring is free to apply the brake to quickly slow the rotation of the motor. For the present purpose a special brake release circuit is employed as will later appear.

As shown the armature shaft 56 is connected through a couplings"! to a pinion shaft 38 hav ing thereon a pinion 39 meshing with a gear 49 keyed to the opposite end of the worm shaft i! from the over-running clutch. With this connection it will be seen that the moto 35 is always connected to the shaft l'l so that when the motor is energized it drives the shaft H and when it is de-energized it is driven idly by the shaft I! when this shaft is rotated by the low speed drive mechanism. With this arrangement the motor is turning when the low speed drive is in operation so that the moment it is energized, it starts from the speed which would drive the worm shaft at its low speed rate and immediately picks up load, increasing the speed of rotation of the worm shaft I1 until it reaches its normal high speed rate. It is important, however, that when the high speed drive is not desired, the speed of the worm shaft be reduced rapidly to that of the low speed drive when the machine is in operation, in order that tools which may have rapidly approached the 'work shall not continue their rapid progress at the.

time they actually contact the Work, which should be at the low working speed.

The brake of the uni-brake motor is therefore so connected in, in accordance with this invention that as soon as the motor is de-energized, the brake is immediately applied, thus to overcome the momentum of the motor and the other parts which are turning at the high speed rate and reduce the speed to the low speed rate, but as soon as this slowing down has been accomplished, it is highly desirable that the braking efiect shall be stopped in order not to impart a heavy drag to the low speed drive mechanism. For this purpose. the brake mechanism is connected in in accordance with the diagram of Figure 6. Referring to this figure, the motor is shown of the three-phase type, receiving its energizat on from the lines 59, and 52 through a normally open ma n controlling switch 53. This switch is closed by the energization of a switch-closing solenoid 55 which receives its energy from the line 5| through leads 56 and 51, coil 55, lead 58, switch contact 59 and switch arm 69, lead 6i, back to the line 50. The switch arm 69 is controlled by suitable cams such as 62 and 63 on a cam drum E l fixed to the cam shaft which carries the d um H). In the position shown in Figure 6, the switch arm 60 is in closed position.

with the high speed motor 35 energized. At the same time a normally open brake-releasing switch 65 is closed and held closed by the solenoid 58 which re eives its energy from the line 52 through the main sw tch 53. leads Ill and ll, solenoid 6B and lead 72 to the line 5 I. This closes the switch 65, energizing the brake-release solenoid 75 which receives energy from the line 50 through the lead '6. switch 65, lead 11, solenoid 15, lead 18,.switch 65 and lead 19 to the line 5!.

As the cam sl" aft rotates at the high speed, the cam 63 contacts the switch arm 69 and rocks it to break the circuit at the contact 59 and to close the circuit at the contact 80. The breaking of the circuit at the contact '59 de-energizes the motor switch solenoid 55 and allows the main switch 53 to open, and also interrupts the circuit through the brake release solenoid 66 from the switch 53 to the lead 70. The brake spring 85 then applies the brake 86 to the brake drum 8! on the motor shaft, thus slowing down the rotation of the motor 35 rapidly. The closing of the contact at establishes a circuit from the line 59,,lead6l, switch 60, contact 8 I.\, lead '90, time delay relay 9|, lead 92 to the line 5| so that when the time for which the relay has been set has elapsed, during which the brake is applied to the motor shaft, the normally open switch 93 is closed, this establishing a circuit from the line 59, lead Bl, switch arm 99, contact 80, lead 90, time delay relay, lead 94, switch 93, leads 95 and 96, brake-release coil 66, lead 12 to line 5|. Thus the switch at 65 is then closed, energizing the brake-release solenoid l5 and thus releasing the brake. This time delay is so arranged that by the time the rotation of the cam drum has been slowed down to its slow working speed, the brake is released so that the rotation of the cam drum proceedsas driven by the low speed drive mechanism free from any drag imposed by the brake mechanism.

Should the power fail during operation of the machine, the brake-release solenoid is immediately de-energized and the brake is applied and so remains, stopping the machine.

The cam drum 64 which carries the cams for controll ng the electric circuit to the high speed drive motor, is also provided, with the stop cam which actson the lever 98 tostop the machine at the end of its cycle of operations, as full described in the Lovely patent to which reference hasbeenmade.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in tl e art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

I claim: 1. In combination, a driven member, a low speed drive mechanism connected to drive said driven member, an ovenrunning clutch in such connection, a motor connected to drive said memher at a relatively high rate of speed, a spring applied electrically-released brake mechanism for said driven member, said electrically released mechanism being energized b said motor circuit to hold said brake released when said motor is energized and to permit the spring to apply the brake when said motor is de-energized, and a time delay mechanism for aga n energizing said brake release mechanism to release said brake a predetermined time after the deenergization of said motor.

2. In combination, a driven member, a low speed drive mechanism connected to drive said driven member, an over-running clutch in such connection, a motor connected to drive said memher at a relatively high rate of speed and to be driven idly by said low speed drive mechanism when said motor is de-energized, a spring-applied electrically-released brake mechan sm for said driven member, said electricall released mechanism being energized by said motor circuit to hold said brake released when said motor is energized and to permit the spring to apply thebrake when said motor is de-energized, and a time delay mechanism for again energizing said electrically released mechanism to release said brake a predetermined time after the de-energization of'said motor when the speed of rotation of said motor has been reduced to substantially that of it's rotation when driven b said low speed drive mechanism. 

